Fitbit

maryb2374

It will give you amount of calories burned, but it is usually much lower than what my HRM says for workouts.

Fitbit lower than your HRM?? That's good to know, I figured it would be a little over so I've been subtracting about 200 calories. Now I can stop doing that

Mine is pretty close to my HRM for calories burned during walks and regular aerobics. It's lower than my HRM for strength training, aerobics with a lot of punching and for stuff like the 30 day shred. I just override the Fitbit calories for those things.

maryb2374

I started counting steps witha a pedometer because of work. Our company joined the GCC (Global Corporate Challenge) to get us to move more. I love it. However, the pedometers we got suck. They fall easily and I dont think they are accurate at all. I also want a pedometer to track speed and distance. I keep seeing the fitbit online and seems good but want opinions from those who have it. Especially being 100$ I want to be 100% sure before buying...

Thoughts and comments?

My hubby just got a pedometer from his work and it's not accurate at all. It counts about 30% more steps than he actually takes. I really like my Fitbit. It's definitely been a great investment for me.

cmp_denver

I recently got my FitBit and love it. It's also nice that it integrates with MFP so I don't have to enter things twice. With regard to the steps, I have an old BodyBugg I've been wearing along with my FitBit to compare the numbers. BodyBugg uses galvanic measures (body heat, perspiration, etc.) to calculate calorie burn and it is also a pedometer. Each day the calorie burn for both has been within about 100 calories, which is awesome. Steps however differed by about 2500 (the FitBit showing more steps than the BodyBugg) each day, so I'm not exactly sure which is more accurate. I tend to believe the BodyBugg more because, like a few of the other posters, I've noticed my FitBit counts things as steps that aren't. With that being said, I wouldn't trade my FitBit in, it's awesome and I like how easy it is to look at and track data over time (BodyBugg's system is too convoluted). Long story short, I'd get the FitBit, but in my experience the steps are not as accurate as they could be.

falcon367

I love my Fitbit for measuring steps, miles walked and floors climbed. As for measuring workout calories, save your money and buy a HRM unless the workouts are low impact, low intensity!! Even a cheap one like the one I have - Timex T5G941 Heart Rate Monitor, with a chest strap. They are far more accurate at measuring your calorie output than the Fitbit.

Don't get me wrong, the fitbit is a great tool! I use it when I cannot use my HRM .. for instance when I'm hiking on a lunch break ... I tend to challenge myself to climb X number of floors or steps to get in a better workout. In my opinion they can be a novelty, that is used as a self motivator if you are focused on a goal. I do wear it everywhere and love it for what it does.

1LRoy

I LOVE my fitbit! Best money I ever spent! I've been tracking my calories in for a while but I just wasn't getting anywhere. I had no idea at all if my estimated calories burned was anywhere close to being correct. Now I have a much better sense of how I'm actually doing and I'm getting results.

It's also fun and motivating! And I love the sleep analyzer.

Totally worth the money.

raitch

It's great for getting a really good look at your normal activity level each day. It is super helpful if you walk or run for exercise. If I do something that isn't picked up well for a pedometer (like 30 Day Shred) I input it into MFP and it wipes out the "walking" for that time period and inputs the assumed calorie burn for my height & weight. So it's great as a fancy pedometer but it's not great for kickboxing, weight lifting, cycling, etc.

mmreed

at first I loved mine.

then after using it a bit, I HATE IT.

1. for guys, there simply isnt a good place to clip it. its awkward unless youre a woman where many clip it inside their bras.
2. You can lose it quickly and easily - there inst a tether hole (and dont get me started on the home brewed tie a string on it work around... )
3. the website food database is HORRIBLE
4. the website burn and calorie estimations are way off compared to MFP
5. I dislike how it integrates with MFP.

Mine has become a gloified pedomoter at this point to just count steps.
I looked at the Nike FuelBand.

then I spent time talking with a few pros - and decided the right thing for me was a HRM from Polar - the FT7.

PhatAv8r

at first I loved mine.

then after using it a bit, I HATE IT.

1. for guys, there simply isnt a good place to clip it. its awkward unless youre a woman where many clip it inside their bras.
2. You can lose it quickly and easily - there inst a tether hole (and dont get me started on the home brewed tie a string on it work around... )
3. the website food database is HORRIBLE
4. the website burn and calorie estimations are way off compared to MFP
5. I dislike how it integrates with MFP.

Mine has become a gloified pedomoter at this point to just count steps.
I looked at the Nike FuelBand.

then I spent time talking with a few pros - and decided the right thing for me was a HRM from Polar - the FT7.

1. no place to put it? are you kidding me? the belt holder is great, I haven't had mine pop out yet... you can clip it to your undershirt under your dress shirt... unless, ewww, your one of those people whose mommy didn't raise him to wear either a wifebeater or t-shirt under your dress shirt... again, ewww.... I've used mine for over a month.. .never had a second thought about clipping it to my belt or undershirt.

2. never lost it in 45 days of using it... where are you losing it too? or are you naturally reckless with your watch, wallet, bluetooth earpiece, cell phone, or other like items?

3. the database is the same as MFP, that's the biggest benefit, you still log food and exercise in MFP and never have to use their DB except to enter SLEEP or DRIVING... where's the problem? or didn't you read ALL the instructions...

4. Website burn and calories are computed differently than for MFP... if you understand the differences, you will quickly find they are VERY close, and I have lost 10# since getting my fitbit, and changed nothing from what I was doing with MFP... except the fitbit 'challenges' me to get my 10,000 steps and be more conscious of taking stair cases when I can.

5. what do you dislike about this? specifically, because if you are logging according to the instructions, it's nearly transparent, and the best part is that the fitbit is constantly updating MFP based on REAL TIME activity each day, the more data it has, the better it knows what to adjust... how is that a bad thing?

Sounds to me like you never really were set up right, and using it the way it was intended... losing things.. that's a whole different story...

PhatAv8r

this is what I sent to FitBit today...

"Hey guys, uh, I need another belt clip... I know I can slip it to my clothing direct, but nothing looks worse that a guy with a fitbit as a tie clasp... love my device, but the belt clip you really need to make available in an accessories link on your site... also, I want another wireless docking station, I'm getting tired of moving my back and forth between work...

Have you thought of a wireless DONGLE (like a USB wireless receiver?) it wouldn't be for charging the fitbit, but to use for OTHER locations like the office or on the road with your laptop when you travel... I think you underestimate how many people want REAL-TIME tracking throughout the day...

I know that I'm not the only strange person who has started putting stairwells between me and my bathroom and water cooler breaks... and I like seeing my steps and stairs go up during the day, as well as what my lunchtime runs do...

Think about it guys, this is the next evolution, and if you had a little dongle for the iphone where the fitbit could update, I'd buy that TOO...

I told you, I love my fitbit, but you need to step it up on the connectivity options... and it can't be rocket science compared to what you already have done.."

I just think they don't realize how much we use these things and would like more feedback capabilities.

PhatAv8r

I started counting steps witha a pedometer because of work. Our company joined the GCC (Global Corporate Challenge) to get us to move more. I love it. However, the pedometers we got suck. They fall easily and I dont think they are accurate at all. I also want a pedometer to track speed and distance. I keep seeing the fitbit online and seems good but want opinions from those who have it. Especially being 100$ I want to be 100% sure before buying...

Thoughts and comments?

Your going to get tracking for your total steps, stairways climbed, calories burned, and a basic activity level for the day...

but it doesn't do speed/distance tracking... you need something like Pedometer GPS on the iphone, or even Nike+GPS on the phone, or a 6G Ipod Nano which can do that with the Nike+ fitness app on it... there are other smartphone pedometers, but these are the ones work the best and I've found are the most accurate...

The fitbit can be useful, but if that's all you want is one that give you pacing... you'll need to spend your money on something else.

LilacDreamer

I started counting steps witha a pedometer because of work. Our company joined the GCC (Global Corporate Challenge) to get us to move more. I love it. However, the pedometers we got suck. They fall easily and I dont think they are accurate at all. I also want a pedometer to track speed and distance. I keep seeing the fitbit online and seems good but want opinions from those who have it. Especially being 100$ I want to be 100% sure before buying...

Thoughts and comments?

Your going to get tracking for your total steps, stairways climbed, calories burned, and a basic activity level for the day...

but it doesn't do speed/distance tracking... you need something like Pedometer GPS on the iphone, or even Nike+GPS on the phone, or a 6G Ipod Nano which can do that with the Nike+ fitness app on it... there are other smartphone pedometers, but these are the ones work the best and I've found are the most accurate...

The fitbit can be useful, but if that's all you want is one that give you pacing... you'll need to spend your money on something else.

it does track distance. mine always tells me how many miles i've walked. i'd imagine it calculates it based on the amount of steps I take and the stride length data.

PhatAv8r

I did a lot of research and finally bought it. I've had it about a week and I love it. While reading reviews, I found that people complained of it not tracking your steps properly. 1. It tracks mine perfectly. I can watch the numbers move as I walk. 2. Everyone's stride is different. If you're tall or short, you can calibrate your steps, so Fitbit calculates correctly.

It also does so much more than a pedometer. I love it.

Ditto, and the AUTO settings for steps is a little off for short legged people... I have a long UPPER body, but my inseam is only 31 which is 1 inch shorter than AVERAGE for my height... so I did the WET FOOT test (set up 20 feet measured on the ground... put down soaking wet towels just at the start line, back step three steps before you cross the start line and then walk over the towels and forward to your next mark 20 feet away).. measure the TOE to TOE or HEEL to HEEL distances for each step, and then also a cumulative distance for all the steps between the start and stop lines... divide the total by your number of steps... and then average all the step measurements... you should get between 1-2" difference... then do the same for your RUNNING step count...)

I did this for mine, and my daily miles and steps are dead on with my GPS pedometer +/- 200 steps and about .10 miles per day... highly motivating to see steps, miles, and stairs during the day...

PhatAv8r

to the Zumba and aerobics question... your FitBit doesn't know what you were doing... all it knows is that certain movement across 3 axis occurred during a certain frequency of time... so doing Zumba, your movements are increased, and your taking steps, in a certain amount of time... this would translate to the FitBit as more calories burned and probably be VERY close to what you would LOG using MFP as Zumba.... but the difference is that when you use FitBit, a new field pops up in MFP... you tell MFP WHEN you started this activity, and how long you did it.. so you need to mentally note you started doing Zumba at 7:30pm and did it for 34 minutes... and when you look at FitBit, you'll see you got credited for the exercise and it logged it out... you can see how ACCURATE it is by first seeing what is recorded on Fitbit when your device downloads the data.. then enter your MFP data as above, and you'll see the little differences in peaks and valleys go away and it blocks out your activity more solid.. but the OVERALL burn total is very close...

I've done this with my driving updates... I've found that on average, fitbits allowance for driving is about the same as the up and down measures I see..

I asked my cardiologist about driving, and they told me that due to stress, reactions that you do almost automatically, and depending on traffic conditions that Fitbits estimates are about right for driving a car... just don't think its CARDIO, that it is not.

PhatAv8r

I started counting steps witha a pedometer because of work. Our company joined the GCC (Global Corporate Challenge) to get us to move more. I love it. However, the pedometers we got suck. They fall easily and I dont think they are accurate at all. I also want a pedometer to track speed and distance. I keep seeing the fitbit online and seems good but want opinions from those who have it. Especially being 100$ I want to be 100% sure before buying...

Thoughts and comments?

Right you are, but if you don't look at your miles before you start, and after, and use the stopwatch, you can't figure all that out, and would have to use a calculator... the smartphone or Nano does it better....

And if that's what someone really wants... I'd actually recommend the Nike sportwatch which will do that. Although I use a Nano and a HRM belt from Polar because I can get HR and distance, pacing and everything else when I walk or run...

Your going to get tracking for your total steps, stairways climbed, calories burned, and a basic activity level for the day...

but it doesn't do speed/distance tracking... you need something like Pedometer GPS on the iphone, or even Nike+GPS on the phone, or a 6G Ipod Nano which can do that with the Nike+ fitness app on it... there are other smartphone pedometers, but these are the ones work the best and I've found are the most accurate...

The fitbit can be useful, but if that's all you want is one that give you pacing... you'll need to spend your money on something else.

it does track distance. mine always tells me how many miles i've walked. i'd imagine it calculates it based on the amount of steps I take and the stride length data.

Perfectdiamonds1

bump

alfpalmer

I love mine. For me, it seems to do a great job. Also, you cant beat their customer service. I recently lost mine, sent them an email asking if they could track it, and they replied that they couldnt, but they were sending me a replacement free of charge. Sure can't beat that

I second the vote for customer service. I've had mine 2 and a half years and it cracked - i emailed because i had seen they offered a disount for return customers - they sent me a new one at no charge. I never dreamed of a 100% discount! Its the best $100 I've ever spent on myself and I'd be totally lost without it.

Dawn200321

I love love love my fitbit!!!!

fltwins918

I bought my Fitbit as a treat for mother's day (single mom of 3 year old twins)... I teach prek and wanted to see how active I really was during the school day. Started using it as soon as I got it (May 3rd) and as of yesterday I have walked 250 miles! and lost 10lbs since getting it. It is calibrated perfectly to my step so I find it pretty accurate and I try to challenge myself daily. I have found myself walking randomly around my house before bed just to hit the next #### steps mark, or to get a little higher than the previous days. I also found it has become like my purse or cell phone... I will turn my car around to go back and get it if I left it at home lol!!! It is a great motivator! I would definitely recommend making the investment in one!

Tennessee2019

I LOVE my Fitbit & don't know how I ever lived without it. I first bought a Bodybugg but quickly regretted getting it (not to mention having to pay for their services on their website) & was so glad I was able to return it. I bought a Fitbit & have never regretted getting it.

mollysonnotice

As a college student, Im extremely poor. Anyone have a cheaper solution?